


First Night

by Hellokaelyn



Series: Charlotte Torres [4]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:34:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Ellie and Nick finally take Charlotte home.





	First Night

After a month of barely living in the apartment, Nick quietly opened the door as to make sure he didn’t disturb the tiny sleeping baby that Ellie held in her arms behind him. 

Nick flicked on the lights and set down the car seat he was carrying.

Behind Ellie walked in Gibbs who had the bags they had with them at the hospital.

“Sure you two will be okay?” Gibbs whispered, placing their bags down. 

Nick looked at Ellie, it was all up to her he would be fine with Gibbs staying but he knew she wanted some time alone with Charlotte for once, just the three of them.

“We’re fine Gibbs, we’ll call if we need any help I promise.” Ellie said softly with a thankful smile.

“Okay, McGee said you could call him too.” 

“Thanks Gibbs.” Nick walked the short distance with Gibbs to the door while Ellie went to their room where a bassinet was set up beside their bed. Neither of them wanted to be too far from her yet.

“Sure you’ll be okay, Torres?” Gibbs asked once more when he stepped into the hall. 

“Like Ellie said, we’re fine.” 

“Not what I asked. I asked if  _ you’ll _ be okay.”

Nick let out a chuckle that he hoped Gibbs didn’t notice was fake. “I’m fine Gibbs, Ellie is the one people should be focusing on.”

Gibbs’ lips twitched. “That’s what you're for. Bishop will be focused on Charlotte, so someone needs to look out for you too.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Like I said Gibbs, I’m fine.”

Of course Gibbs didn’t look like he believed him for one second. 

As they said their goodbyes once more, Nick softly shut the door.

With a sigh he leaned against the closed door, tilting his head back.

He wasn’t fine.

* * *

When he walked into the bedroom Ellie laid on the bed on her side so she faced the bassinet.

“Hey.” Nick whispered, moving onto the bed and positioning himself behind her. He put his arm around her waist.

Ellie smiled a little as she shifted backwards so she was against his chest. 

“You can go to sleep if you want, I’ll take first shift.” Ellie whispered.

“I’m okay, I just want to watch her for a bit.” Nick whispered back.

“Same here.” She gave a sad smile. “I can’t help but be worried she’ll disappear if I take my eyes off her...like this is all just some dream I’m in to cope with losing her-”

Nick pressed a kiss to her head. “It’s not a dream Ellie, I promise. She really is here and alive.”

They stayed like that until Charlotte woke up hungry, soon after she fell back asleep with a full stomach, Ellie fell asleep back in the same position. 

* * *

Nick kept his eyes on Charlotte as Ellie slept, her first peaceful sleep since their baby girl was born. He could feel his eyes getting heavy but he refused to sleep.

It was his job to watch over Charlotte. 

After all, it was his fault she was born early in the first place. If he hadn’t gone undercover she wouldn’t have been stressed worried about him, and in turn she wouldn’t have had stress on her body. He had been sure at the time that there was no way out of it but Nick knew now what he should have done. 

He should have quit. 

Nick could feel the guilt wiggle its way in at times, Ellie and Charlotte were his life now not the job. Them he couldn’t live without, the job he’d learn to live without. He should have told Vance that if there was no way to get him out of it, then he was done being an agent.

Turning slightly, he reached over to grab his badge that rested on the nightstand.

He flipped it open staring at his picture that he had made such a big deal about. It felt like a lifetime ago, and so idiotic now looking back. Who the hell cared about what his picture looked like? He had purposely picked someone from HR he knew could help him, which then came Jodie who had heard him asking someone and was nice enough to help him out. When Jodie had handed him his new creds, he had seen Ellie and Jimmy watching from her desk and saw it as an opportunity to try and make her jealous so he had hugged Jodie. He had walked to the bullpen and had to try not to smirk when Ellie  _ was _ jealous. It was also a little funny to him as she had no actual reason to be jealous, he only had eyes for her and Jodie had a  _ very _ serious girlfriend. Of course she didn’t know that.

And now when he looked at it, it just disgusted him. 

He tossed it back onto the nightstand. 

This job had cost him a lot but he’d be damned if it cost him Ellie and Charlotte too.

* * *

Ellie didn’t sleep long. When she woke up, her eyes right away went to Nick who was watching Charlotte sleep. It didn’t take her long to see the stress on his face and something else she couldn’t place.

“Nick?” She whispered, her voice still filled with sleep.

He turned and smiled at her. “Thought you’d sleep longer.” 

She shook her head. “I’m okay.” Ellie bit her lip. “What’s going on Nick? And don’t lie to me saying you’re fine, I can tell you’re having a harder time than me which means  _ something _ is up.”

Nick looked as if he didn’t want to say anything but she knew he’d tell her. “I made you stressed.”

Ellie looked at him confused, moving so she was closer to him on the bed. “Nick..what’re you talking about?”

“When I went undercover, I made you stress worrying about me which led to you going into labor early. If I had just-”

“What, quit?” 

He looked at her surprised   


“Nick-” Ellie grabbed his hand. “Yes I stressed worrying about you, but that had nothing to do with me going into labor early. And the whole you should have quit thing? You’re just feeling a lot of things right now, we both are, but I know you would have regret it after.”

He shook his head. “If the job cost me you and Charlotte-”

She lifted her hand to his cheek. “Nick, I can’t promise things won’t happen because you know better then anyone that you can’t control everything, but Charlotte and I? It’s going to take a lot more than  _ stress _ to make us go anywhere.”

Nick let out a breath and leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

Ellie still felt the same butterflies in her stomach that she felt the first time she heard him say those words to her. “I love you too.”

Finally he smiled, one that wasn’t forced. 

They both closed the distance, their lips about to touch when a cry came from the bassinet. 

She laughed while Nick groaned. 

“She’s going to do this a lot isn’t she?” He huffed, but still smiled as he reached into the bassinet to grab Charlotte, handing her to Ellie. 

Ellie chuckled. “Sorry Nick, but a baby tends to cramp your style.”

He rolled his eyes and dropped backwards onto the bed. 

She nudged him with her knee. “Go to sleep Nick, you haven’t had any sleep in almost 24 hours.”

Nick’s eyes already started dropping. “Wake me if you need me?” He mumbled half asleep.

“Of course.” 

She wasn’t even sure if he had heard her. She shook her head with a little laugh before looking down at Charlotte who hadn’t cried any more after Nick picked her up but was still making little noises hinting her frustration. 

“Okay sweets, let’s get you fed.” Ellie whispered to her.

They still had a long night ahead of them.


End file.
